Days Until Heartbreak/Vengeance
i'm coming for you the opportunities are endless you better watch your back i'm seeking vengeance part seventeen of Days Until Heartbreak I've been spending nearly a moon in the Clan now. Tensions between StormClan and the anti-tom group are rising. Each day I've been doing the normal things: hunting and patrolling. Leafstrike seems to be trying to spend as much time as he could with me. I hope he's not getting attached to me. "Hey, Sari," Shineblossom calls, "Didn't you want to hunt with me or something?" I perk up. I hadn't had the chance to "befriend" Shineblossom for half a moon. But after awhile she got used to being around me and she kind of grudgingly accepted the fact that I was part of StormClan now. "Yeah, I did!" I stand quickly before she can change her mind. I trot over to where she's standing. "Do you have a patrol?" I ask. She shakes her head. "Let's just go hunt alone. It's seems like nobody's in the mood for a patrol right now. We could patrol a few borders along the way too." "Are you sure?" I tilt my head. I've never known Shineblossom to be so willing to be alone with me. The pale she-cat eyes me. "Are you afraid of me or something? You did ''want to hunt with me." She raises an eyebrow. I shake my head fervently and stride outside. "Of course I'm not afraid of you. I'm just used to the fact that cats always go out in patrols." Shineblossom snorts. "It's been a moon, can't you get used to Clan life?" I shoot her a withering look but she purrs instead. My eyes widen at the sudden change in the wiry she-cat. Perhaps all my days of chasing after her has finally worn off. She's letting down her guard because she thinks I'm going to be one of her obedient Clanmates. Before we manage to leave, Ivystar stops us. I've been avoiding the StormClan leader for the past moon, though with almost no success. Each time I see her, it's a reminder of what she's done to me and Aura. She doesn't remember, and I know I shouldn't hold it against her for it, but it's just the fact that she thinks it's ''fate that she abandoned us ticks me off. Another reason to hate StormClan. "Are you two going hunting?" Ivystar asks. Shineblossom dips her head in respect. "We are." The cat I once knew as Winter brightens visibly. "Do you mind if I join you? I've been hoping to tag along on one of these hunts but I can never stand patrols anymore. They always try to give me the leadership but I just want to hunt like a normal cat." Shineblossom doesn't seem bothered by the leader's presence. "Of course you can join us, can't she, Sari?" She glances over at me. Ivystar does too. I try not to flinch. "Yeah, sure." I manage. The "calico" she-cat gives us a elegant smile. Shineblossom walks out of camp without another word. We're heading for the tom border. I notice that the Clan hasn't really been hunting near the anti-tom group border. Probably too much tension. "How have you been settling in, Sari?" Ivystar falls in step next to me. "Fine." Ivystar smiles wistfully to herself. "It's always hard the first moon. After that, it gets better and everyone will accept you. Don't worry about it." I nod awkwardly, unsure what to say. Shineblossom is staring across the border again. Now I realize why she's so adamant about not taking any other cats except Ivystar (because you can't really reject the leader). She probably doesn't care if I see her being disloyal because I don't have much power myself. But her Clanmates would be suspicious of her glancing at the toms that roam on the other side of the invisible line. For a second, I think I see a flash of white. Shineblossom's head snaps towards the border once again, her green eyes searching. I swear I can see her eyes light up momentarily but it's gone before I can question it. After awhile, Shineblossom is the one talking to me. "Do you know that the anti-tom group believes in no love?" She nudges me as she points to a crow she's stalking. "Yeah, I knew that," I say without thinking. "You did?" Shineblossom blinks, "Did you know that there's a she-cat out there defying the anti-tom group? I always assumed all she-cats out there were part of the group. It also makes me wonder if the toms have an anti-''she-cat'' group." I've never thought about that. What if Ice was defying a group of toms too? But then Kreg would be doing so too. Kreg. I haven't thought about Kayli and Kreg since I came to the Clans. The group must be still hunting them. I feel like Aura would try to tell me if she found Kayli. We hunt for a long time. Just when we're about done hunting, I pick up a scent. "There are strange cats nearby," I hiss to Shineblossom. She pricks her ear and signals to Ivystar. The leader instantly comes over. "What's wrong?" "Sari picked up a few scents," Shineblossom explain, "It's rogue scent for sure. I just don't know if it's an invasion or something." There's something familiar about the scent. I taste the air again, trying to distinguish it. There is rustling nearby. Shineblossom and Ivystar tense. I begin to back away. I know who they are. Just as a light gray she-cat emerges with a dark gray tom, I blurt out. "You!" Instantly I slap my tail over my mouth. Shineblossom stares at me in utter shock. "You know them?" Know them? ''I think grimly, ''All too well. Two other pairs of eyes are on me as well. Both filled with hatred and distrust. I turn to them, finding myself to be staring at Kayli and Kreg. ~ "You say the anti-tom group did this to you?" Ivystar clarifies one more time. Kayli and Kreg nod. Neither of them are looking at me anymore. Ivystar turns to me. "And you say both of you were outside of the group?" Kayli shoots me a murderous look at this and I manage a nod. "Yeah. There's actually a lot of she-cats outside of the group. We were a few of them." Ivystar is satisfied with my answer. She faces Kayli again. "Did you have any interaction with the anti-tom group? Were you once part of them?" This is a dangerous question, I can tell. Kayli knows it too. The light gray she-cat shakes her head. "Of course not. I've been with Kreg for a long time." I don't doubt that. She must have been seeing the darked tom for quite awhile before Aura found her missing that day. Now she can't reveal my identity without giving herself away too. But I know I have to get out of here soon. Which means I must execute my plan quickly. Tonight. Shineblossom will have to die tonight. I won't be able to reach Kayli fast enough but I need to escape from this nightmare. I cannot let the light gray she-cat get to me first. Ivystar relaxes slightly. "Shineblossom, Sari, you're dismissed. Kayli and Kreg, I need to talk to you two about the anti-tom group." I'm nervous about leaving Kayli along with Ivystar, since she might be able to spill the beans about what I've done to her. "Let's patrol the border," I whisper to Shineblossom as we leave the leader's den, "I don't want to stay in camp after this." She nods impatiently, "I agree. Let's go." I'm so relieved that I hurry after her. Everything's going to be alright after this. I can run away with Ice and never have to worry about the Clan or Kayli ever again. Plus, Shineblossom will finally be dead. It all ends tonight. ~ "Which border do you want to patrol?" Shineblossom asks, her claws scratching at the dirt. She looks agitated, probably because she's trying to figure out who Kayli and Kreg are and what they had to do with the anti-tom group. I can tell Shineblossom hates Aura's group. "I don't care." I mutter. Shineblossom shrugs and heads for the tom border. I notice that she avoids going anywhere near the other border at all times. Also, I'm assuming that she wants to meet Ice, regardless of who I am. We're nearing the border now. I know I need to make my move soon, while she doesn't suspect me. We've become rather good friends over the moon (at least she thinks ''we're good friends), and I'm starting to wonder what kind of she-cat Shineblossom is in the Clan. Is she as cruel as she appears to me? I crouch. Good friends or not, good cat or not, she has to go down tonight. I cannot let her walk freely any longer. I bare my teeth and supress and growl. "I guess we'll just patrol it once and-" I leap just as she begins to turn around. "What are you doing?" She screams as I lunge for her throat, "Sari, I-" "Die, Shineblossom, for all the injustices you've done," I hiss as my claws draw nearer and nearer. Before I can make it, Shineblossom disappears. I blink in confusion. I know she was too shocked to move out of the way, so how is she gone? There's blood on the floor. There's a pure white pelt standing in front of me. I shriek in surprise and fear, because I know who saved Shineblossom. ''Again. "Ice!" I glare at him. Shineblossom is behind him, panting. "How could you?" Ice is bleeding from a shallow wound. "Sari, I told you before. I won't let you drown in the 'monster' you think you possess." "She's a monster alright," Shineblossom gasps, "She tried to kill you!" "And you killed Sweetie!" I countered, "And you stole my to-be mate!" Shineblossom shoots Ice a scathing look. Something is definitely amiss but I'm too angry to care. "I don't believe you, Ice, I thought you loved me!" Ice's sad blue eyes trail after me as I whirl around and race away, knowing that I had failed Sweetie. Knowing that I had failed myself because I knew that Ice was only trying to protect me.